The Masters

[The Modfather]

Anyone else been watching the snooker? The QF Higgins v Ronnie just now is a frightening standard. Shaping up to be a classic. C’mon John!

[Sir David Gray]

Anyone else been watching the snooker? The QF Higgins v Ronnie just now is a frightening standard. Shaping up to be a classic. C’mon John!

It was an outstanding match, one of the best I've seen. It was just a shame it wasn't the final.

It was the best I've seen Higgins play for years, I really wanted him to get that sixth century.

[Hiber-nation]

That was sensational from Higgins. Played some superb shots in the last frame in particular. His long potting wasn't as good as yesterday but that was some standard to set. Hopefully he can keep it up for one more day.

[cabbageandribs1875]

nice him coming out to yes sir i can boogie for the final :)

[Sir David Gray]

Shaping up to be a great night of snooker.

Higgins took a 5-3 lead into tonight but Yan's won the first two frames tonight, including a respotted black in frame nine.

Higgins just goes 6-5 ahead.

[Sir David Gray]

What a match this is.

Higgins looked like he was going 8-7 up but misses the blue and Yan clears up and it's him who goes 8-7 up.

I think he'll do it now.

[Sir David Gray]

Well done Yan Bingtao - wins 10-8 for his first major title.

[Hiber-nation]

Yan was brilliant, to have a safety game like that for such a young player is fantastic.

[The Modfather]

Slightly sad seeing Higgins become a nearly man these days. He’d not have lost his last 4 finals 10 or 15 years ago. Amazing him and Ronnie are still at the level they are at their ages though.

Fair play to Yan, he deserved it and dare I say looked quite Higgins like, and only 20!

[Wilson]

Slightly sad seeing Higgins become a nearly man these days. He’d not have lost his last 4 finals 10 or 15 years ago. Amazing him and Ronnie are still at the level they are at their ages though.

Fair play to Yan, he deserved it and dare I say looked quite Higgins like, and only 20!

I've been a Higgins fan from the beginning but had bet on Yan to win pre game. John just doesn't close out finals anymore, doesn't play to the levels he did against Ronnie often enough, and Yan was overpriced at 7/4.

Great effort from John Higgins all the same but no real surprise about the result.

[The Modfather]

I've been a Higgins fan from the beginning but had bet on Yan to win pre game. John just doesn't close out finals anymore, doesn't play to the levels he did against Ronnie often enough, and Yan was overpriced at 7/4.

Great effort from John Higgins all the same but no real surprise about the result.

Yep, I’ve also been a Higgins fan from the start and still am. Now that his powers are on the wain and he’s mortal he just doesn’t pinch frames like he used to, he lost both the black ball deciders for example. There were a few key frames, the one at 5-3 for example, where if he won them and took a 3 frame lead I think he’d have won. He just couldn’t shake Yan, and as good as he was and he was good, a lot of his chances were a direct result of Higgins unforced errors.

Still think he has a triple crown left in him, hopefully a world championship in one last hurrah.

[The Modfather]

No point in starting a new thread, and doubt anyone will have watched it in an obscure competition. Noticed Higgins was playing on IT4 yesterday against Selby in the players championship so had it on in the background.

Higgins was as good, possibly even better, than his semi win in the masters over Ronnie. 6-0 and Selby only accrued 6 points!! Don’t think Selby even played particularly badly, just didn’t get much more than a break off most of the time.

If Higgins can maintain the form he’s showing a bit more consistently the last few years he’ll add a few more of the triple crowns yet, hopefully a world championship. The finals do seem to to be one match too far and he’s drained by the time he gets there these days though.